Toy balloon



April 1953 1,. w. BROWN 2,635,385

TOY BALLOON Filed Dec. 11, 1950 INVENTOR. Lam's/me M firm l2 Fatentecl Apr. 21, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TOY BALLOON Lawrence W. Brown, Clinton, Mo. Application December 11, 1950, Serial No. 200,253

2 Claims. (01. 46-56) This invention relates to toy balloons and more particularly to an inflatable balloon that is propelled through the air by expulsion of inflating medium therefrom during deflation. The objects of the present invention are to provide an inflatable toy balloon with a small hollow neck which may be used for inflating the balloon, said neck being arranged to discharge the inflating'medium with a jet efiect for propelling the balloon through the air; to provide an inflatable balloon with a neck havin an opening so related to the balloon body that inflating medium expelled through said opening is directed substantially tangentially of the balloon for effecting rotation of said balloon and at an angle to the plane of rotation for propelling said balloon in a direction substantially perpendicular to the plane of rotation; to provide means on the balloon body for cooperating with the forces acting thereon from expulsion of the inflating medium whereby the balloon body rotates and tends to move substantially in a direction defined by the axis of rotation; and to provide an inflatable toy balloon that will be entertaining and serve as an economical amusement device.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the present invention, I have provided improved details of structure, the preferred form of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a balloon embodying the features of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the balloon illustrated in Fig. 1.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

In the form of the invention illustrated in the drawing, the balloon body 8 is hollow with a thin Wall and of expansible material such as rubber, whereby the body is inflatable. The body is provided with a single hollow neck 9 and nozzle II] which has a small aperture H communicating with the interior of the body 8, whereby discharge of inflating medium from the body member 8 through the neck 9 and nozzle 10 provides a jet effect and a rotating force on the balloon. The nozzle [0 is preferably directed substantially tangentially to the body 8 and downwardly at an angle to the central horizontal plane l2, as illustrated in Fig. 1. With a balloon structure having one neck 9 and nozzle I 9 the exhaust or discharge of the inflating medium tends to rotate the balloon body in a direction opposite the direction of discharge of the inflating medium and about an axis perpendicular to a plane l2 defined by the direction of discharge of the inflating medium. The tendency of the body to rotate about an axis perpendicular to the plane I2 is altered by a weight or mass l3 suitably secured to the body memberon the horizontal plane l2 and substantially from the neck 9 in the opposite direction to the direction of discharge of the inflating medium. The weight or mass 13 is spaced from a central plane l2 in which the exhaust of the inflating medium tends to rotate the nozzle for offsetting the axis of rotation of the balloon body from a perpendicular to the plane I2, Fig. l, to a perpendicular to the plane 12. This weight is small, but has sufiicient efiect whereby the exhaust of the inflating medium through the nozzle Ill efiects rotation of the body member 8 about an axis perpendicular to the horizontal plane l2 and also tends to elevate the balloon or otherwise propel same along the axis of rotation.

The weight or mass I3 is secured to the balloon body in a position relative to the nozzle l0 whereby when the balloon is free in the air the gravitational force due to the weight cooperates with the jet efiect of the discharge of the inflating medium to tilt the balloon body from the position that the discharging inflating medium would tend to rotate the balloon to a position wherein the jet enect causes the balloon body to move upwardly in the air.

in using a balloon constructed as described, the balloon oouy 6 is suitably inflated by blowing or otherwise applying inflating medium or air into the nozzle In and hollow neck :1 in surnclent quantity and pressure to properly innate anu expand the body a. when the mllated balloon body 15 released the lnhatmg medium exhall-BUS 01 fllficll'dl'geb UDL'UUEI]. 17118 nozzle Ill and ap lies a reaction lorce to the balloon body in a direction OppUSlte to the direction or discharge or sam inflating medium. The weight or mass It] tends to onset the axis or rotation and cooperates With the Jet ehect oi the discharging mhatlng medium whereby the iorce acting on the balloon body has two components, one of which tend to rotate the balloon about an axis perpendicular to the horizontal plane 12. The other component is perpendicular to said plane l2 and tends to lift the balloon body. Therefore the balloon b0(1y rotates and moves substantially in a line perpendicular to said plane. The aperture in the nozzle is small relative to the total capacity of the balloon body whereby the forces acting on the balloon body due to the discharge of the inflating medium will rotate andv lift the body to a substantial height.

through the air when free comprising a hollow;

inflatable body, jet means communicatingwith.

the interior of the body for discharge of inflat ing medium therefrom during deflationof said body and operating to direct said inflating medium substantially tangentially from-the-inflated body for applying rotating forces thereto.,and a mass on the side of the body relative to the axismotrotationof saidbody and spaced from said'jet means and oflsetfrom'a plane deflned by the, center of thebody and the line of dischargeoi the inflating medium to'provide a gravitational force acting on the body in spaced rela tion to the jet means when said'body is free in the atmosphere for tilting the axisfof rotation of the body and the line of exhaust of theinflating medium, said'mass beingsuch that grav ity acting'th'ereon will'cause'th'e line of exhaust to be" directed"downwardly at an angle to a plane'which' is'perpendic'ular to the axis of rotation wherebyth'e" discharging inflating medium rotates'the body and propels same substantially 'along' theaxis ofrotation ofsaid'body during-deflationof said'bodyfi 2. A toy jet propelled balloon for movement through the air when free comprising, a hollow inflatable body, a hollow neck extending from the body and terminating in an angular portion having an opening directed substantially tangentially of the body, said opening communicating with the interior of the body for exahust oi infiating medium from the body and discharge of said inflating medium during deflation of said body through the opening in the hollow neck with a jet efiect which applies rotating forces to the body, and a mass on. the side of: the body relativetothe axis of rotation of saidbody and spaced from the hollow neck in the opposite direction to the discharge of inflating medium therefrom, said mass being spaced from the central-plane in which the exhausting inflating me- ,dium tendsto-rotate the hollow neck to provide a gravitational force acting on the body in spaced tially along the axis of rotation ofsaid body duh ing deflation of'said body.

LAWRENCE W. BROWN;

References Cited in the. of this; patent .3

UNITED STATES'PATENTS Number Namev Date 1,051,004 Pfeifie'r Jam 21,- 1913 2,449,405 Mordan Sept..l4,; 1948 2,524,059: Kennedy Oct. 3,1950 

